Shookfoil Poetry Night is an event to which the Xavier community looks forward: a night full of music, emotion, and snacks. This night serves as an opportunity for Xavier’s students to use their voice and showcase their spoken poetry and musical talents. To end the night, a renowned guest speaker performs his or her poetry. People of all ages can enjoy various aspects of the night, from popcorn to pop culture. All for the admission price of $2, students, parents, and faculty are able to support student creativity.

Mrs. Davis, a Xavier English teacher, organizes Shookfoil poetry nights. According to her, the behind the scenes work is a “group project” as many people assist in making all the moving parts of the night successful. Mrs. Stenmoen, Mrs. Bovee, Ms. Alfieri, and Mrs. Davis start by thinking of a theme that determines decorations and food. Mrs. Coie helps create posters advertising for the night. Mr. Epstein works with all the musical acts and helps set up the sound system for the event. The maintenance crew helps with the stage, tables, and flooring.

The image is taken from the praCh’s website.

The next Shookfoil Poetry night is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6th. The doors open at 6:45 with show from 7-8:30 PM. This next guest speaker, praCh, is known as “The First Cambodian Rap Star” according to NEWSWEEK. praCh will be joining Xavier for the night to share his raps and poetry. For more information on him and what he does, visit his website: https://prachly.com/bio.

Besides poetry, there are other qualities of the night that appeal to students. Jackson Castillo, a Senior who has yet to attend Shookfoil, stated that he is looking forward to the first event of the school year and the musical performances. “I have heard that the emcees are hilarious and always intriguing”. In the upcoming Shookfoil Night, Marni McDowell and Sam Veliz will be the hosts. For those who will be attending their first Shookfoil, Mrs. Davis hopes “they come back because they loved seeing their peers take a chance at expressing themselves creatively. I think everyone is nervous to read their words or sing in front of a crowd. But if you take a chance, you’ll be hooked.”

with the title of the “#1 Rapper in Cambodia”, this renowned performer is set to take Xavier’s open mic night

Shookfoil Poetry Nights act as an opportunity for students to step out of their comfort zone and share their talents. Jazmin Aguilar, a Sophomore who has attended two events, shared that she likes “how people you would never expect can go up and surprise you with their talent”. Aguilar also described an appreciation of the open mic setting, stating, “anyone can participate, even last minute.” Mrs. Davis also shared the same passion for studens’ voice as she stated, “It makes me happy to provide an opportunity for self-expression in this way. Call me crazy, but my ideal image of heaven looks like a high school open mic.”

Sign-ups for performing at Shookfoil are open during the week leading up to the event, but many times the stage is open for anyone with the courage to perform in front of their peers.